How to Create a Conveyor Maintenance Checklist

Daily, weekly, monthly & quarterly maintenance efforts to perform

The following is a guest post by Boyce Bonham, Chief Engineer at Hytrol.

Staying on top of your conveyor maintenance is an integral part to the success of your operation. When left untended, equipment can become inefficient, unreliable, and a potential safety hazard. To keep your alleviate the problems that come with poorly-maintained equipment, it’s important to create and follow a standardized maintenance checklist for each of the conveyor types in your operation, from gravity conveyors to powered conveyors.

In addition, operators should be trained on who to call should they recognize anything out of ordinary occurring with the conveyor operation or if the conveyor needs to be cleaned from any debris that may need to be removed. It is important to know that cleaning a conveyor is a maintenance function requiring proper lock-out tag-out procedure.

The following checklists can be specified for each type of equipment at your facility:

Daily Safety Check

Often, the first people to notice a problem with a conveyor are the people who use that equipment every day. These operators should be performing visual and audible inspections each day to check for any wear or out of the ordinary sounds coming from the conveyor. These are the first signs that the maintenance employee needs to be notified. In a daily routine walkaround, employees should do for the following:

Look for any unusual small piles of buildup indicating wear

Note dirty areas that need to be cleaned of debris or spillage

Confirm that belts are tracking properly

Listen for any signs of problems indicated by squeaking, grinding, or other unusual noises

Confirm all safety guards and safety devices are in place and appear to be functioning properly

Weekly Maintenance

Properly trained maintenance employees should visually check all photo eyes to make sure they are properly aligned and sensing products as intended in order to perform their function. Motors may be checked for temperature and noise. Hardware around the drive should be visually checked for proper torque.

Examine:

Photo eyes

Motors

Drive hardware torque

Monthly Maintenance

Your monthly checklist should include checking the condition of your guardrails, belts, rollers, and any other similar components that may cause the conveyor to malfunction. As previously stated, it’s important to use your eyes and ears to determine what may need maintenance when you take the time to go through your monthly checklist items.

Check guardrails for alignment and overall functionality

Check condition of belts, including condition of belt lacing

Check that all rollers are turning properly

Quarterly Maintenance

Each quarter, your maintenance team should perform checks on equipment that may be more difficult to accomplish when the conveyor is in full operation. Again, make sure that you use your formalized lock-out tag-out procedures when performing any of these maintenance tasks.

Check oil level in reducers if required by manufacturer

Check drive chain tension and adjust if necessary

Check drive sprocket alignment and sprocket set screw torque

Check mounting bolts and set screws on bearings

Every system is unique in functionality, environment and hours of operation. As you get to know your specific conveyor system, you may add any items or adjust the frequency of checks in your particular maintenance schedule. Remember, taking the time for maintenance now actually saves you downtime later on. To keep your equipment functioning properly, always contact your integration partner for the best, most up-to-date information on maintaining your material handling equipment.

Boyce Bonham is the Chief Engineer at Hytrol, where he has over 30 years of service.

Scott Stone Cisco-Eagle's Director of Marketing. He has over 25 years of experience in the industry.